Cross-Border Family Mediation Training for Ukrainian Mediators Launched in Ukraine
On 9 March, the Cross-Border Family Mediation 2.0 training programme, organised by MiKK e.V. – International Mediation Centre for Ukrainian mediators, was launched. The training focuses on working with family conflicts arising from the forced separation of families due to the war.
Why This Programme Matters
The full-scale war, now in its fourth year, continues to have a profound impact on the lives of millions of Ukrainian families. According to estimates by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), around 10.6 million Ukrainians have been forcibly displaced, with women and children making up a significant proportion of those affected.
In many cases, what began as temporary evacuation has turned into prolonged family separation. Under these circumstances, parents face complex challenges related to maintaining contact with their children, agreeing on co-parenting arrangements, determining the child’s country of residence, and ensuring both parents’ involvement in the child’s upbringing.
The Role of Mediation in Cross-Border Family Disputes
In such situations, mediation can serve as an effective tool for finding solutions that take into account the best interests of the child while helping parents maintain constructive dialogue.
Training professionals in cross-border family mediation is an important area of professional development. During the programme, participants:
- explore the provisions of the 1980 and 1996 Hague Conventions;
- examine approaches to resolving international family disputes;
- work with cases involving international child abduction, child access, and custody;
- develop mediation skills for complex cross-border situations;
- explore approaches to ensuring that the voice of the child is considered;
- study the principles of trauma-informed practice.
The programme has been adapted to the current Ukrainian context, taking into account the realities of wartime and the specific challenges of cross-border disputes involving Ukrainian families.
Where to Find Trained Mediators
Mediators who have completed specialised training in cross-border family mediation can be found on the Mediation Help platform.
Partnership and Support
The MiKK CBFM® training is implemented in partnership with the Ukrainian Academy of Mediation and co-funded by the European Union within the ACCORD 2 (MiKK) and CONSENT (UAM) projects.
The initiative is also supported by IRZ and the German Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJV), with training resources provided by the International Training Centre “School of Mediation.”
This training represents an important step in the development of cross-border family mediation in Ukraine and strengthens the capacity of Ukrainian professionals to respond to the complex challenges faced by families affected by war and prolonged separation.